John Kline Homestead

John Kline was arguably the most beloved personality in Brethren History. Donald F. Durnbaugh	John Kline Homestead Broadway, Virginia	We did not decide to receive the John Kline legacy. Now, we must decide what we will do with that legacy. Paul Roth

Messenger Article for the April 2008 issue. Letter sent to Church of the Brethren Congregations Letters of support for the John Kline Homestead Shenandoah District Church of the Brethren Resolution from Rockingham County, Va. Christopher Bowman, Moderator Church of the Brethren Park View Financial Progress as of 1/17/2010 By the end of 2009, we have received around $305,000 in gifts and pledges. The December 11 benefit dinner, silent auction and concert at the Briery Branch Community Hall brought in over $2,100 gross. We are still waiting to receive contributions of special offerings and fund-raising events from several churches. Articles in Messenger and the Church of the Brethren electronic Newsline have encouraged gifts from across the denomination. We continue to receive inquiry from individuals and churches on visits to the homestead and financial support. Pastor Roth met in November with Brenda Black, director of the Harrisonburg Office of Tourism, Terry Heder, representative of the Shenandoah Battlefield Foundation, and Karen Klasnick, director of the Broadway Home Town Partnership, to discuss a letter to Broadway businesses for contributions to the John Kline Homestead. We will be mailing this letter soon to over 100 local businesses. The Park View Federal Credit Union Board of Directors has granted the JohnKline Homestead Trust an extension for raising the funds to purchase the property. Another year will ease the pressure to raise the remaining funds. We hope to have the John Kline Homestead purchased and ready for tours by 2011 for the Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War. The Broadway Town Council and the Harrisonburg Office of Tourism are eager to have this unique historic site available ot draw tourits here to the community. Progress as of 5/05/2009 The Board of Directors is embarking on a Capital Fund Campaign to raise $425,000 by December 15, 2009. This will allow us to purchase the John Kline house, outbuildings and an additional acre. Board members will make an appeal to 14 congregations in the Shenandoah District to raise $10,000 each. The Linville Creek congregation has already raise close to $60,000 before the fund campaign has begun. We will also contact neighboring districts to solicit financial support from their larger congregations. In addition, we are working with neighboring Brethren congregations to assist in mowing around the house and outbuildings to reduce the maintenance costs. On June 16-19, a Church of the Brethren Junior High Workcamp stayed in the house and painted some of the outbuildings. They also visited other Brethren historic sites in the area. Progress as of 8/10/2008 $107,850+ received in gifts and pledges. Eleven churches have given $60,835 of total. Total gifts received are over $96,850. The Sr. High Trailblazers Camp at Brethren Woods worked at the homestead as a service project on Wednesday, 8/6/08. The COB Sr. High Workcamp cleaned the John Kline house, the wash house, the smokehouse, the horse and chicken sheds, and the granary. The youth and leaders also pruned and removed shrubbery along East Springbbrook Road and the house and the wash house and mulched the remaining shrubbery, grape vine and asparagus/rhubarb beds, planted herbs and installed rail fence for an herb garden. They cleaned and stored various artifacts, cut up and split wood in a back field, removed old fences, cleared brush and debris from the spring brook, cleared brush and planted seeds in the Kline Family Cemetery, and painted the metal wall cap, gates and wrought iron fence of the Linville Creek Church cemetery. Pictures of the camp. The homestead grant-writer, Christal Yowell (Ceder Run COB) has made application for five major historic preservation grants. There will be a heritage exhibit of the John Kline Homestead at Annual Conference in Richmond, VA, July 12-16. Progress as of 5/21/2008 IRS has approved exempt status for all gifts. Church of the Brethren Senior High Work Camp, June 16-22 will be held on the Homestead. Brethren Churches provide meals. Alger family donatesd $4,500 of antiques. Pastor Roth will set up a display at Annual Conference in Richmond, VA, July 12-16. May Commemorative Calendar* shows the house. Progress as of 3/9/2008 A local volunteer grant-writer is preparing applications for a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Historica Preservation Society's Save Our History, and a $10,000 grant from Home Depot for community youth service for historic preservation. Brethren horticulturalist Jason Stevens of Jefferson's Monticello plantation visited the homestead January 25 and offered suggestions about landscaping, orchards and gardens. Jason left a list of 19th century Shenandoah Valley fruit trees and descriptions. He recommended the removal of shrubbery from around the house as well as trees in the yard and garden. He will provide a sketch of the property and and is donating fruit trees. * JMU professor Darrell Nash has led students of his historic preservation class (January 26) on a tour of the John Kline House and grounds. Their study of the architecture of the house and outbuildings for this semester will result in a preliminary packet of information for application to both national and state histric registries. They've already discovered some interesting features about the house. Nash will lead a second group of students February 16 to measure the blacksmith shop near the Linville Creek (on John Kline's farm) and the other outbuildings. * Lantz Construction architect Christopher Eads also walked the property to develop a list of projects in preparation for the site review by the director of the Church of the Brethren Senior High Work Camp June 16-22 this month. Tasks include cleanup of the fence rows and yard, removal of trees and shrubbery, priming and painting the smokehouse and carriage shed/shop roofs. I've had three local adults offer to assist with the work camp. * Pastor Roth reviewed with Curtis & Jeannie Alger Stutzman a list of antiques the Alger family is giving the John Kline Homestead. They added a couple of other items, which will be on loan. I've asked them to prepare another list with signatures and date. We will review the items that may be sold for income for the purchase of the property. * Pastor Roth have met with the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren Historical Committee to plan for an historical exhibit at Annual Conference this summer in Richmond, VA. The Anniversary Committee is giving us a 10'X20" space at no charge. I've recommended that half that space be used for the John Kline Homestead, and hope that we can put artifact furniture there with updates on the purchase of the property. * On March 30, Pastor Roth will be leading a Sunday School Class and preaching at the Hagerstown, MD, Church of the Brethren on John Kline. One of the members will visit the homestead to take pictures in early March so she can spearhead a fund-raising campaign in her congregation. *Pastor Roth is exploring the movement of a 19th century blacksmith shop near the Linville Creek to the John Kline Homestead to preserve it from demolition when the property is sold. The Church Historical Room has a photo of M.R. Zigler as a child standing beside the blacksmith, Andy Crist, at his shop, while M.R.'s father is sitting in a buggy. -------------------------------------------- Progress as of 1/15/2008 Total gifts received are over $88,500. In addition, we have pledges for $14,500 to bring our total for the project to over $103,000. We continue to receive contributions weekly. A formal fund-raising campaign is being planned for 2008 to reach our $600,000 goal. Incorporation papers have been filed with the Commonwealth of Virginia so that all contributions to the John Kline Homestead are tax deductible. The John Kline Homestead website is up with photos and updates on the progress of the project. It may be viewed at www.johnklinehomestead.org. The Church of the Brethren Youth Work Camps Office is planning a Senior High Work Camp on the homestead June 16-22. For registration, check the Church of the Brethren website (www.brethren.org) and click on “Key Words,” then “Youth & Young Adults.” A Brethren horticulturalist at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Plantation is donating 19th century fruit trees to the homestead and will help plan typical Shenandoah Valley garden plots of that era. A James Madison University professor will focus on the architectural design of the John Kline house and out-buildings to his spring semester class on historic preservation. Their work will pave the way for registration with the national and state historic site registries. A display on the John Kline Homestead will be provided for the 2008 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Richmond, VA, July 12-16. Plans are underway for events and tours on the homestead in preparation for the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren this year. Please contact us with your vision for the John Kline Homestead or questions you may have regarding its preservation. We will be happy to inform you of further developments relating its maintenance and use. _______________________________ The Homestead./ Board of Directors /Progress of Project/Donations/How you can help/ John Kline Memento Sales Church of the Brethren Shenendoah District/ Brethren Encyclopedia / CrossRoads Valley Heritage Center

John Kline was arguably the most beloved personality in Brethren History.

Donald F. Durnbaugh

Broadway, Virginia

We did not decide to receive the John Kline legacy. Now, we must decide what we will do with that legacy.

Paul Roth

Messenger Article for the April 2008 issue.

Letter sent to Church of the Brethren Congregations

Letters of support for the John Kline Homestead

Shenandoah District Church of the Brethren

Resolution from Rockingham County, Va.

Christopher Bowman, Moderator Church of the Brethren

Park View Financial

Progress as of 1/17/2010

*By the end of 2009, we have received around $305,000 in gifts and pledges. The December 11 benefit dinner, silent auction and concert at the Briery Branch Community Hall brought in over $2,100 gross. We are still waiting to receive contributions of special offerings and fund-raising events from several churches.

*Articles in Messenger and the Church of the Brethren electronic Newsline have encouraged gifts from across the denomination. We continue to receive inquiry from individuals and churches on visits to the homestead and financial support.

*Pastor Roth met in November with Brenda Black, director of the Harrisonburg Office of Tourism, Terry Heder, representative of the Shenandoah Battlefield Foundation, and Karen Klasnick, director of the Broadway Home Town Partnership, to discuss a letter to Broadway businesses for contributions to the John Kline Homestead. We will be mailing this letter soon to over 100 local businesses.

*The Park View Federal Credit Union Board of Directors has granted the JohnKline Homestead Trust an extension for raising the funds to purchase the property. Another year will ease the pressure to raise the remaining funds.

*We hope to have the John Kline Homestead purchased and ready for tours by 2011 for the Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War. The Broadway Town Council and the Harrisonburg Office of Tourism are eager to have this unique historic site available ot draw tourits here to the community.

Progress as of 5/05/2009

*The Board of Directors is embarking on a Capital Fund Campaign to raise $425,000 by December 15, 2009. This will allow us to purchase the John Kline house, outbuildings and an additional acre.

*Board members will make an appeal to 14 congregations in the Shenandoah District to raise $10,000 each. The Linville Creek congregation has already raise close to $60,000 before the fund campaign has begun. We will also contact neighboring districts to solicit financial support from their larger congregations.

*In addition, we are working with neighboring Brethren congregations to assist in mowing around the house and outbuildings to reduce the maintenance costs.

*On June 16-19, a Church of the Brethren Junior High Workcamp stayed in the house and painted some of the outbuildings. They also visited other Brethren historic sites in the area.

Progress as of 8/10/2008

*$107,850+ received in gifts and pledges.

*Eleven churches have given $60,835 of total.

*Total gifts received are over $96,850.

The Sr. High Trailblazers Camp at Brethren Woods worked at the homestead as a service project on Wednesday, 8/6/08.

The COB Sr. High Workcamp cleaned the John Kline house, the wash house, the smokehouse, the horse and chicken sheds, and the granary. The youth and leaders also pruned and removed shrubbery along East Springbbrook Road and the house and the wash house and mulched the remaining shrubbery, grape vine and asparagus/rhubarb beds, planted herbs and installed rail fence for an herb garden. They cleaned and stored various artifacts, cut up and split wood in a back field, removed old fences, cleared brush and debris from the spring brook, cleared brush and planted seeds in the Kline Family Cemetery, and painted the metal wall cap, gates and wrought iron fence of the Linville Creek Church cemetery. Pictures of the camp.

The homestead grant-writer, Christal Yowell (Ceder Run COB) has made application for five major historic preservation grants.

There will be a heritage exhibit of the John Kline Homestead at Annual Conference in Richmond, VA, July 12-16.

Progress as of 5/21/2008

*IRS has approved exempt status for all gifts.

*Church of the Brethren Senior High Work Camp, June 16-22 will be held on the Homestead. Brethren Churches provide meals.

*Alger family donatesd $4,500 of antiques.

*Pastor Roth will set up a display at Annual Conference in Richmond, VA, July 12-16.

*May Commemorative Calendar shows the house.

Progress as of 3/9/2008

*A local volunteer grant-writer is preparing applications for a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Historica Preservation Society's Save Our History, and a $10,000 grant from Home Depot for community youth service for historic preservation.

* Brethren horticulturalist Jason Stevens of Jefferson's Monticello plantation visited the homestead January 25 and offered suggestions about landscaping, orchards and gardens. Jason left a list of 19th century Shenandoah Valley fruit trees and descriptions. He recommended the removal of shrubbery from around the house as well as trees in the yard and garden. He will provide a sketch of the property and and is donating fruit trees.

* JMU professor Darrell Nash has led students of his historic preservation class (January 26) on a tour of the John Kline House and grounds. Their study of the architecture of the house and outbuildings for this semester will result in a preliminary packet of information for application to both national and state histric registries. They've already discovered some interesting features about the house. Nash will lead a second group of students February 16 to measure the blacksmith shop near the Linville Creek (on John Kline's farm) and the other outbuildings.

* Lantz Construction architect Christopher Eads also walked the property to develop a list of projects in preparation for the site review by the director of the Church of the Brethren Senior High Work Camp June 16-22 this month. Tasks include cleanup of the fence rows and yard, removal of trees and shrubbery, priming and painting the smokehouse and carriage shed/shop roofs. I've had three local adults offer to assist with the work camp.

* Pastor Roth reviewed with Curtis & Jeannie Alger Stutzman a list of antiques the Alger family is giving the John Kline Homestead. They added a couple of other items, which will be on loan. I've asked them to prepare another list with signatures and date. We will review the items that may be sold for income for the purchase of the property.

* Pastor Roth have met with the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren Historical Committee to plan for an historical exhibit at Annual Conference this summer in Richmond, VA. The Anniversary Committee is giving us a 10'X20" space at no charge. I've recommended that half that space be used for the John Kline Homestead, and hope that we can put artifact furniture there with updates on the purchase of the property.

* On March 30, Pastor Roth will be leading a Sunday School Class and preaching at the Hagerstown, MD, Church of the Brethren on John Kline. One of the members will visit the homestead to take pictures in early March so she can spearhead a fund-raising campaign in her congregation.

*Pastor Roth is exploring the movement of a 19th century blacksmith shop near the Linville Creek to the John Kline Homestead to preserve it from demolition when the property is sold. The Church Historical Room has a photo of M.R. Zigler as a child standing beside the blacksmith, Andy Crist, at his shop, while M.R.'s father is sitting in a buggy.

--------------------------------------------
Progress as of 1/15/2008

Total gifts received are over $88,500. In addition, we have pledges for $14,500 to bring our total for the project to over $103,000. We continue to receive contributions weekly.
A formal fund-raising campaign is being planned for 2008 to reach our $600,000 goal.
Incorporation papers have been filed with the Commonwealth of Virginia so that all contributions to the John Kline Homestead are tax deductible.
The John Kline Homestead website is up with photos and updates on the progress of the project. It may be viewed at www.johnklinehomestead.org.
The Church of the Brethren Youth Work Camps Office is planning a Senior High Work Camp on the homestead June 16-22. For registration, check the Church of the Brethren website (www.brethren.org) and click on “Key Words,” then “Youth & Young Adults.”
A Brethren horticulturalist at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Plantation is donating 19th century fruit trees to the homestead and will help plan typical Shenandoah Valley garden plots of that era.
A James Madison University professor will focus on the architectural design of the John Kline house and out-buildings to his spring semester class on historic preservation. Their work will pave the way for registration with the national and state historic site registries.
A display on the John Kline Homestead will be provided for the 2008 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Richmond, VA, July 12-16.
Plans are underway for events and tours on the homestead in preparation for the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren this year.

Please contact us with your vision for the John Kline Homestead or questions you may have regarding its preservation. We will be happy to inform you of further developments relating its maintenance and use.

_______________________________

The Homestead./ Board of Directors /Progress of Project/Donations/How you can help/ John Kline Memento Sales

Church of the Brethren Shenendoah District/ Brethren Encyclopedia / CrossRoads Valley Heritage Center